[IAAR]Weltpolitik and Realpolitik

[Tani Coyote]

Hello everyone!

Come January I will be hosting a game here in this subforum, specifically because the “game” will be based off a Civilization 3 playfile. Basically it will be like a mixture of the standard story (I will be posting regular updates with screenshots), combined with some game aspects in that the audience can participate.

So, here’s the outline:

-I will be playing El Justo’s Age of Imperialism mod, with some slight modifications (coal and iron on some islands, Ethiopia replaced with the Mahdists, and Australia’s builds available to other colonial powers)

-I will host a game based off this playthrough on this site. Players will be able to join this game as a family/faction and will be given stats based on the playthrough; I will be making use of Excel to track such.

-The main focus of the forum game will be to dominate the economy and politics of our chosen nation. Players will be able to instruct me on what cities they control will build (for your own sanity, it will be general orders i.e. production, culture, wealth, navy, air, land, etc.) and reap the benefits of such. Players will receive income that they may use to invest in other cities and industries to increase their income; they can also use money to engage in subterfuge against one another. Whether it’s simple sabotage or outright assassination, it’d be doable. Realpolitik allows the ends to justify the means, after all.

-Similarly, there’s weltpolitik. While I will be managing the day to day activities of the government (and posting regular updates every 13 turns or so; players may then use their stats to send me orders), it will in fact be possible to gain clout over national policy, to the point of being able to direct foreign policy and the treasury. While there are unlikely to be elections, it is very probable that players will nonetheless devolve into “party” like camps as they vie for more power.

I plan on hosting this game in January, but for now, I’m posting this to get a feeler for what people would desire. From now until New Years, please tell me which civilization we should play as. Once New Years hits, this post will be replaced with a formal ruleset. While my personal preference would be to play as Germany, I’m open to suggestions: Italy, Austria, Russia, etc. We could even be a non-colonial power but naturally that raises issues due to the lower economic opportunities available.

Colonial powers:

Britain
Germany
America
France
Spain
Portugal
Lowlands
Italy
Balkans
Austria-Hungary
Russia
Scandinavia
Japan

 

[Tani Coyote]

Reserved for Update List

 

[Omega124]

Scandinavia best nation

 

[Tani Coyote]

Oh, I'll throw out that even if you don't plan on playing you can still throw out an idea for a civ.

More players is always good though!

 

[Toxicman007]

scandinavia!

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

Torn between Scandinavia and Lowlands.

 

[NinjaCow64]

Expressing interest. You should post this in Argentina might get a few more hits. I vote for a democracy, preferably UK or USA.

 

[Tani Coyote]

Oh, I already posted it in the Argentina thread, and I think the number of votes is about ready to dry up.

I'll just call the poll as is - we have Germany and Scandinavia tied for 1st with 4 votes each, with Italy in 3rd place at 3 votes.

So then. Preference voting time! Everyone who's engaging in this great democratic process, please rank your choices in order of preference, like so:

1. Germany
2. Italy
3. Scandinavia

This should make for a more interesting election.

 

[NinjaCow64]

I am happy with all three choices, yet I can never pass up the opportunity to vote on a preferencial ballot, so I'll just copy Tani and vote:

1. Germany
2. Italy
3. Scandinavia

 

[Toxicman007]

1. Scandinavia
2. Germany
3. Italy

go the vikings!

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

1 Scandinavia
2 Italy
3 Germany

 

[Tani Coyote]

WaR is now up for signups over at the IOT subforum.

The game will be hosted in IOT, but an abridged, story version shall be posted here.

 

[Terran Empress]

subbing, will probably play as well

 

[Tani Coyote]

Accompanying Game Post

===Week 1-Week 49, 1895===

Spoiler :

National Politics

The year 1895 was incredibly placid for the Italian Kingdom, with Umberto I’s government overseeing an era of peace despite the rise of a new oligarchy. It seemed fear and/or respect for the Government did a good job of keeping the Oligarchs in line, but how long would that last?

Foreign Politics



One of the most important developments of the Italian Empire in the year 1895 was the arrangement of a trade deal with the Ottoman Empire to supply them with Wines. Such a deal brought much needed income to the Italian Empire, though some considered the deal risky in the event of any Ottoman war with Austria or the Balkans.








Less flatteringly, Italy became the punching bag of various major powers around the world. While Italy refused the demands of Siam, every other country that came asking for money was given it. The Prime Minister’s Government soon adopted a policy of spending all money as soon as it came through the Treasury’s doors; foreign powers couldn’t demand money the state no longer had, after all.



The Filipino War of Independence began in 1895, though the Italian government remained pessimistic as to its outcome. Given the Spanish were likely abysmal at amphibious assaults, however, it was presumed the Filipinos would likely still hold out. It was up in the air who would emerge victorious given how few troops were present in the islands on both sides.

Economic Developments

So as to stimulate the Italian Empire’s industrial growth, the King arranged for farmland around the country to be repurposed for raw material extraction. While this would cause a decline in population over time due to less food, there was so much food on the peninsula that Umberto I’s officials saw this as an acceptable trade off.



The X-Ray Machine was built in Rome in November 1895; the machine was part of a slew of advancements that the construction of a new Cruiser design. One of the most notable innovations, however, was the idea that Italy could raise conscripts in the African colonies, who could then be tasked with improving the local territory to ensure that Somaliland became worth the expense necessary to maintain Italy’s grip on it.

 

[Tani Coyote]

Accompanying Game Post

===Week 1-Week 49, 1896===

World Map

National Politics

Spoiler :

The Great Novel’s publishing in Rome in August increased the stature of the city even further, attracting plenty of artistic individuals to the city as they too hoped to cash in on the miniature Renaissance of the city.

The Nationalist Party greatly increased their power in Taranto over the course of 1896. While it was not enough to command a majority in the city, it became apparent those desiring the retaking of Italian territory in Savoy, Corsica, and Trieste were gaining ground.

Foreign Politics

Spoiler :

Scandinavia demanded tribute from Italy shortly after the Great Novel's completion, having been denied the book's publishing. When their demands were rejected, the Alliance's leaders swiftly retreated.



The Hapsburgs of Austria exploited their alliance with Germany to also bully the Italian Kingdom. Unlike Scandinavia, the risk of a mainland European War was too great for Italy to deny their demands. The Nationalists reported a spike in campaign donations shortly after the act.



Even small, distant Chile was in the business of trying to gain money from Italy. With how distant they were, however, the Kingdom wasn't open to granting them funds.



Perhaps the most momentous change in 1896 was the Anglo-Russian War. Erupting over a dispute in Central Asia, it was predicted little land would change hands, though analysts anticipated the Russians would lose many of their ships to the might of the Royal Navy.

Economic Developments

Spoiler :

The King’s New Economic Policy began to show great strides in both Europe and Africa, with the latter showing particular progress as hastily-raised labor gangs were put to work turning the plains and deserts of Somalia into productive pieces of land. There was a huge rise in income in the Horn, with most cities reporting an increase of income ranging from 50% in Hurdiyo to 100% in Mogadishu.

Education as enormously expanded by federal decree in 1896, with the King directing local governments to build libraries, universities, and high-end research labs to stimulate innovation so that Italy would remain competitive with other colonial powers.

Italy was also bidding to host both the World Fair and Olympics per the ambitions of Umberto I's Cabinet. If Italy could host such events, the Government reasoned, it would demonstrate that Italy was far from being irrelevant, even if it was not as prominent as the French or British Empires.



One major economic development for Italy was the re-negotiation of the Wines trade with the Ottoman Empire. Italy bumped up its price by a fair amount, to the point trade with the Turks equated to nearly 10% of the Kingdom's GDP. While war was considered in the long-term with Istanbul, it was clear that peaceful relations were immensely profitable.

 

[Tani Coyote]

Counterpart Game Post

===State of the Kingdom IV: Issued New Years’ Day, 1898===

Map

National Politics

Spoiler :

Italian politics began to become more divisive in 1897. The D’Poggio family, with its wealth in universities, theaters, and wine, became the dominant power in Bologna. Nationalists also swept the economy and polls in Taranto. What was of great consequence was the clashing agendas of these two powers – the D’Poggio family favored expansion in Africa rather than against fellow Europeans, whereas Nationalists did not care for colonies and wished war with Austria and France to reclaim past Italian territories.

The division spread to even the colonies; the Asmara Governorate gained increasing amounts of self-rule from Rome. More decisions were made on the ground rather than by the Government.

Foreign Politics

Spoiler :

Italy’s reputation as global punching bag remained untarnished. When the Mahdist regime that controlled Sudan and Ethiopia demanded money, they were given it; Italy could not risk a war just yet. The Germans likewise exploited superiority in both Africa and Europe to extract tribute from Italy. If nothing else, such repeated extortions helped rally the people of Italy in favor of war with these powers, so as to establish Italy’s self-determination.

The Cuban War of Independence broke out in March, ceasing in October. The Cubans forced the Spanish into a stalemate that convinced Madrid to capitulate the city of Nuevitas and the surrounding territory to the rebels for anyone desiring freedom from Spanish rule. This was a very different outcome than that seen by the Filipinos, who had seized two-thirds of Luzon and continued to be at war with Spain.

The French were eager to revive the Napoleonic era during the late 1800s, even if they did not give the Bonapartes a say in it. In April they declared war on the Lowlands and saw little progress; despite this, British threats of intervention prompted France to declare war on Britain in July. No major advances were made by any of the sides in the war, but the outbreak of war resulted in Italian politicians quietly debating a war with France to unify Somaliland and possibly gain Mediterranean territory.

Showing the significant decline in Spanish power, Portugal declared war on Spain in September. While Spain outnumbered the Portuguese in Europe, Portugal had an advantage in Africa, with the Filipino War preventing Spain from making use of its numerical superiority in the Far East.

In the midst of these conflicts, Italy remained peaceful. Its economy continued to roar with record employment and growth rates, and to many people it looked like Italy would forever remain complacent and a non-threat.

Economic Developments

Spoiler :

Italy’s commitment to peaceful development was symbolically expressed with its hosting of both the World’s Fair and Olympic Games. Tourists flocked to Italy’s city and many were convinced to make investments in Italian companies, stimulating further economic growth.




Italy’s vastly-expanded education began to pay off, with Italians making advancements in the fields of physics and aeronautics. The first plane was built in Italy courtesy of the American Wright Brothers, and research also saw the development of new battleships, the first machine guns, and civilian implements.



The year concluded with East Africa continuing to develop, helped in part due to a strategic deal with the French to let Italian forces pass through Djibouti at a small annual fee. With the Italian peninsula receiving grants to build its industrial production, Italy was nearly ready to begin an arms buildup that would illustrate the time of Italian inferiority was at an end. Large amounts of troops would be raised and plenty of hardware manufactured in Italy before being sent overseas to give Italy a strong presence in Africa.

 

[Tani Coyote]

Game Post

===State of the Kingdom V: 1898 and 1899===

Map

National Politics

Spoiler :

In Week 33 of 1899, the King declared mobilization of the Italian economy for war. The world was naturally alarmed, but as Italy had expressed no clear hostility, many governments were convinced it was for self-defense in a time where many constantly applied pressure to Italy.

The politics of 1898 and 1899 were marked by increasingly civil strife. Milan became a bloodless battleground between the Trevisan and D’Poggio families, each seeking to expand the hold of their businesses in the city, though it was the Trevisan family that came out ahead, nearly dominating all the legislatures of northern Italy.

Campaigns were held to discredit the Nationalist Party in Rome, ridiculing the desire for a European war as absurd, but surprising numbers of people came out to support the Nationalists. The Nationalists were soon growing in power in the nation’s capital, with many assuming they even had a chance at the Prime Ministry, given that they had also expanded their influence in Sardinia.

It seemed all too coincidental to many Italians that the D’Poggio, Italy’s most influential family, saw a great deal of damage to their properties in Sardinia and southern Italy, the areas that the Nationalist Party had been steadily increasing their clout in. Despite this, the Nationalists maintained great approval with many Italians, and the D’Poggio retained their position as the strongest Italian power broker.

Foreign Politics

Spoiler :

The Summer of 1898 was rife with blood. The German Alliance declared war on both Russia and the British Empire in the span of a month, triggering a wide European war that touched several continents. The Germans’ choice of an enemy proved lethal, with all of German Africa passing into British hands within a year. Such was the severity of Germany’s defeat that they signed a peace accord with Russia thirteen months after hostilities broke out, taking Saratov as a puppet state.

The British understood the threat of the Germans and French both as enemies, and so made peace with the French weeks after the declaration from Berlin had arrived, taking with them French Guyana. Without the large territories of the French to worry about, Britain steamrolled across German Africa.

In preparation for war with the Mahdists, a treaty was signed with the British to allow forces to go through Egypt to reach the Horn. As infantry and cavalry poured southward, workers would be headed in the opposite direction, bound for the lands of Italy that needed a good deal of conscript labor to become fully optimized for war.



As Italy grew confident with its growing military power, it rejected Spanish demands for free timber as tribute. Spain responded by declaring war on the Kingdom. Italian media said that Spain’s belligerence was the result of severe national inadequacy in the face of an Italian arms buildup as well as their continued inability to stomp out the Filipino Uprising. When the Spanish sent a small force to try and take Milan, it was cut down by artillery and Cavalry, a bloody illustration that Italy was not to be taken lightly.

In the wake of skirmishes with Spain, the Government dispatched the whole Italian fleet westward to shell Barcelona and deal with any possible naval incursions. The King proclaimed to the nation that Spain’s aggression would not go unpunished, and that the seizure of Spain’s Mediterranean coast and the Spanish Sahara - as well as the decimation of Spain’s armada - were now objectives.

Internal Developments

Spoiler :

Italy became a center of science, much like it had been in the 1400s and 1500s, with the advent of such technologies as aspirin and the vacuum tube. Italy’s radio technology was so far ahead of competitors that the inventor Marconi’s equipment became widely used around the world in shipping. Such innovations were accompanied by reforms that allowed cavalry forces to be levied from colonial populations, thus helping Italy gain the manpower it needed to expand.



Italy’s adoption of the Gold Standard did much to stabilize the economy, with annual tax receipts increasing shortly afterward.



The Royal Military Academy was founded in Rome, ensuring that in an era of divided governance, the finest soldiers and officers alike would be trained as loyal to the national government.



The Chemical Plant of Rome spurred industrial production in the capital dramatically. While the chemical industry was used for many civilian purposes, the Government remained eerily quiet on the subject of using it for military applications.



A chemical weapons program was nonetheless started in secret several months later. The Kingdom’s military staff rejoiced at the idea of having Chlorine Gas with which to make its enemies drown in their own blood.

 

[Tani Coyote]

Accompanying Game Post

===State of the Kingdom VI: 1901 (Covers 1900) ===

Map

National Politics

Spoiler :

As war raged across the Mediterranean, Italy still had its share of internal rivalries behind the façade of a united front. In Asmara, Governor Andrea di Napoli was besieged by rumors infidelity, harming the Asmara Governorate’s stature, while to the south in Mogadishu, the Colonial Development League was able to establish itself as the new prime power in the city and its surroundings. This was mostly due to the implosion of the East Africa Company, which had filed for bankruptcy and lost many of its rights in the Horn accordingly.

Nationalist-heavy cities such as Taranto and Cagliari continued to see assaults against the D’Poggio empire. Taranto saw an enormous reduction in D’Poggio influence as boycotts, arson and propaganda took their toll. The D’Poggio were seen by Nationalist Party members as soft, desiring to avoid war in Europe for lands that were rightfully Italian. Despite this, the D’Poggio held onto their economic power in Cagliari, most likely because so many Sardinians were drunk off D’Poggio wine.

Foreign Politics

Spoiler :

The British Empire seemed content to end its war with the rise of a new Government in the country; they ended their war with Russia in February, and their war with Germany and Austria in June. While nothing was gained against the Russians (barring some naval victories), Britain had annexed the entirety of the German African empire. This made Italy reconsider its options: with Germany’s African territories no longer a threat to Italian power on the continent, the country could safely attack Austria and only have to worry about German forces in Europe.

Wartime Events

Spoiler :

Per special request of the Nationalist Party to avoid wars against Spanish Europe, General Donati was assigned to the Morocco Front. Konrad Dietrich was assigned to the Catalan Campaign. Admiral de Vetis was given control of the western fleet, while Benito Costa received the eastern.



The fleet under Admiral Costa was able to destroy two Spanish cruisers, but failed to sink a transport, thus allowing Spain to land a small invasion force in Sicily; Costa was not faulted for this, as he lacked the sufficient manpower to take out the entire Spanish fleet. De Vetis’ fleet, much more numerous and better armed, fared much better, destroying three Spanish cruisers while also sending one of its transports to the bottom.

In Italy proper, a Milanese General responsible for the homeland’s defense killed two Spanish Infantry divisions, but lost one of his own Cavalry to do so. It was readily apparent that Italy was in need of more artillery on the peninsula.



Further weeks saw much more intense battles in the Western Med, with Spain apparently throwing everything it had at Italy. While this detracted from the Barcelona Campaign, it did give Italy the opportunity to destroy much of the Spanish fleet, a victory in and of itself. Several cruisers and transports were sunk, thus establishing Italy as the dominant power in the Sea. To ensure its security, come March, the Italian fleet deployed ships outside Cartagena to block Spanish shipping from moving eastward; Cartagena had a narrow corridor that the Spanish fleet had been using to reach the central Mediterranean, given that the Ottomans and Balkan Alliance had blocked most of the Gibraltar Approach. The lack of Spanish reprisal in March also seemed to show that the Spaniards were losing manpower, leading to much confidence in Italy as to the war’s outcome.



With the Spanish hailfire seeming to have come to an end, General Dietrich was assigned to lead an army against Barcelona. While he did little to weaken Barcelona, he did round up one of Spain’s civil engineer corps, a small but sizable blow to the Spanish economy. He was surprised when the Spanish launched an assault, losing two Cavalry but also killing one of Italy’s cavalry divisions. It became apparent that Spain may not have been depleted of men as had been suspected.




General Donati had better luck. While Dietrich remained camped with no end in sight on the outskirts of Barcelona, Donati was able to tear gaping holes in the city of Villa Cisneros’ defenses. With no losses he soon seized the city, making him a national hero overnight for his role in cheaply, rapidly seizing Spanish Morocco. More importantly, Donati’s victory enabled Italy to re-assign Donati’s sizable artillery support to the European front, with most artillery forces heading to Tunis where they were soon delivered to Sicily.

The Spanish Government desired vengeance for the fall of Morocco, and in June had two Cavalry divisions strike at Milan; both were soundly defeated by the City Guards. Spain even began to raid Italian East Africa, though Italy lost one Cavalry to eliminate the threat there. It was clear Spain was becoming more desperate as they saw mounting losses, but they nonetheless continued to make small attacks rather than large, coordinated ones. Italy did not mind the incompetence of the Spanish Army, of course.



The largest offensive Spain ever launched was the amphibious landings in Morocco, with four Cavalry making a landing. However, General Donati realized that he had the advantage on the offensive, and as the Spaniards set up camp, they were struck down without mercy. In Italy, another cavalry incursion was defeated with no losses. The Spanish had launched a determined, desperate assault to weaken Italy’s grip in Africa and Italy, but lack of manpower and superior tactics by the Italians saw both these invasion forces crippled. With so many Spanish vessels and troops having been slaughtered like cattle, Italian propaganda bluntly stated that even if Italy ended up giving back Morocco in the peace treaty, it still would have won, having inflicted disproportionate losses on the Spanish military.

General Dietrich was able to conduct his operations in peace once the Spanish ran out of forces to send to Italy or other fronts. He made effective use of skirmishes to gradually reduce the garrison of Barcelona, defeating two Infantry divisions in September and two more in November; the latter offensive killed the highly-trained Spanish City Guards. With the Spanish losing men faster than they could replace them with new regiments, Italy’s artillery and naval bombardment were becoming far more effective in delivering results.



Week 1, the Barcelona garrison is redlined for the first time, our subpar artillery so numerous it’s still lethal. General Dietrich kills 10 Spanish units at no losses and delivers the city into Italy’s hands! (+3 Prestige, +1 XP) It also grants us a direct shot at Cartagena.

Just a few days into 1901, the city of Barcelona was finally seized; Italy simply had so many artillery that they were effective despite their poor individual accuracy. Torn to pieces by artillery shells, the Spanish forces were cut to ribbons by General Dietrich’s army. As General Dietrich occupied the city and began fortifying it against likely reprisal, the Italian oligarchs and the Government held a closed doors meeting to determine whether or not Spain would push onward to Cartagena to eliminate Spain’s Mediterranean presence or call it a day.

Domestic Developments

Spoiler :

Not applicable. The war consumed every part of the public mind.